shards of glass
by MyBrokenButterfly
Summary: Dabble/one-shot series. Because when glass breaks, no two pieces are ever the same. Just as no two memories or experiences are quite the same.
1. 01 fire and ice

Prompt: Fire and Ice

Pairings: None

Character: Natasha, Black Widow

Timeline: Pre-pre-movie

.

Her childhood is of fire and ice.

Fire that scorches and burns and kills and destroys-

Ice that surrounds, that's solid and whole but distant and unfeeling-

Russia is ice, always too damn cold and fire is how it starts.

"_Well, well, well. What do we have here?"_

She's just a girl when they take her. There's ice on the ground but her clothes smell of smolder and ash and as they drive away, she can see the cloud of smoke that killed.

The first memory she has is of fire and ice and not the faces of her parents, long since gone.

Her hair is of fire, she realizes one day catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. It's a stark contrast against everything else in the white lab they test her in.

Her body is ice. Even as she gets older, Russia is in her veins and her skin is always cool to the touch.

When she's out, on her own, she learns about fire and ice in a different way.

Attitudes can be of fire and ice. It's so easy to switch between the two. Passion is fire; fear turn veins to ice in seconds.

Her life, her soul, she is fire and ice.

.

Please review and let me know if you have any prompts for characters (especially Clint or Natasha)!

Thanks xxx


	2. 02 scars

Prompt: Scars

Pairings: slight Natasha/Clint

Characters: Tony Stark (Iron Man), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Bruce Banner (Hulk), Thor, Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Clint Barton (Hawkeye)

Timeline: Pre-Movie

Dedicated: violet-phoenix-rose (Thanks for the prompt! I hope you enjoy!)

.

No battle is won without scars. Skin tearing, puckering and knitting together into something smooth and waxy and forever.

They all have scars.

.

He won't let it show. At least, he tries not to. He won't let it get to him. But sometimes, it does.

Sometimes when he's in the lab, Tony finds himself idly tracing the only thing keeping him alive. His 'heart' as Pepper once presented it.

It's terrifying. He should be dead. He feels his mortality every time he's changing shirts and sees the slivers that decorate his chest- like sprinkles on icing.

There are products and surgery to get rid of his markings but he can't part with them. Not when it's proof of what he's done and who he's become.

He buttons his shirt slower on days like this, watching as ARC reactor disappears from sight but still glows through the fabric. Something he can't escape.

.

Captain, oh my Captain. He never actually thought he'd become who he is today. He still remembers being that tiny kid everyone picked on, even more so whenever he tried to stand up for himself.

Of course he's got scars. But, they've disappeared. Part of the Super Solider experiment, he thinks, not only did it give him his strength and size; it also completely healed old wounds and medical conditions like his asthma.

But, he still knows where old scars would have been. Like where, in junior high, someone pulled a knife on him during a fight and cut his arm. Or, the waxy line that used to extend from his eyebrow, all the way up to his hairline from being hit over the head with something that he can't even remember.

Those are gone now. But he'll always remember where they were. Just as he'll always remember the soldiers who died fight beside him.

.

Bruce has tried hundreds of ways to off himself. At first, he was serious- he wanted to die, to end it all already. The monster he created, the 'other guy,' was too dangerous and too strong and too out of control. His death could solve this. Then, he realized it was impossible. He can't take the easy way out.

The Other Guy foils every try he makes. All attempts of death are futile. Bullets are coughed up, poison is spat out. Knives and other weapons that cut the skin at vital points break as skin turns green and tough. No evidence remains. On the outside.

That doesn't stop him from mentally torturing himself at every turn. Sometimes internal scars are harder to cope with than external ones. You can't watch them health, you can't ointment and a bandage. You just have to deal with them, forever. Bruce suffers in silence trying to do good as if that will be his healing medicine.

.

Thor is a demigod. Mortal tries won't make him bleed.

But you don't have to bleed to be hurt. Loki showed him that. Because familial betrayal does not go without leaving traces of something broken.

.

They were master assassins. Their profession is not without casualties.

Stray bullets. Close calls with knives. Unfortunate incidents with arrows and afflictions of hand to hand combat. Sufferings at the hands of torture-

No one gets away without marks.

As they lay in bed together, fingers brush against road maps of the past. Bullet holes and knife marks, stories so engrained in their minds, they appear on the body.

More are plaguing their minds, ones that can't be seen or heard but hurt just as much.

.

Scars make the person. No one is without and no one can escape their own. They shape you; they make you. You can't escape them, no matter what.

.

Please review. Feedback is always welcomed!


	3. 03 colors

Prompt: Colors

Pairings: None

Characters: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts, Bruce Banner, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton.

Timeline: At any time.

_Inspiration for this came from "Scarlet Woman" by ambiguously and my own research into what each color can represent for one of my assignments. _

.

Tony Stark is red. It suits him. Red is the color of his suit and the color of strength and power. It lends itself to passion and danger. Both of which, Tony knows all about.

_Dark red is associated with vigor, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice and wrath._

Red is a strong color, a striking color. It doesn't fade into the background. It demands attention. It's the color of love and the color of blood. It's the color that smears and smudges but never really comes off.

.

Thor is orange, maybe. Orange is a mixture of yellow (energy and joy) and red (strength and courage). It stands to represent fascination and determination as well as success and stimulation. It's just as well to have gold under its category, for royalty.

_Red-orange corresponds to desire, sexual passion, pleasure, domination, aggression, and thirst for action._

Orange is the warmth in his deadly lightning; the gold in his homeland palace. It's hot like the yellow sun and deadly like red blood. It is everything that the two colors combined, make it.

.

Steve Rogers is yellow. Yellow is the color of the sun and of happiness and energy and of his dirty blond hair in the light. Yellow is the color of the wide-eyed boyish nature he has even after a war and death turned people gray and bland.

_Light yellow is associated with intellect, freshness and joy._

Steve Rogers breathes honor and loyalty which yellow brings to light. Once connected with cowardice, now calls forth attention, like a spot light in the darkness. Once, a tiny boy unable to fight back now has inhuman strength.

.

Pepper Potts is green. Not Bruce, even though the 'other guy' is a giant green monster. No, Pepper represents harmony and freshness and because she's got this ability to make everything better. The power of healing, maybe.

_Olive green is the traditional color of peace._

Green is the color of safety; the direct opposite of red on the color wheel. Where Tony is wild and fearless, Pepper is more reserve and hesitant in her actions. That's probably why they work so well together.

.

Bruce Banner is blue. Tried and true. Blue represents depth and wisdom; confidence and intelligence. It's the standard color of male population, leaning to the Hulk version of the man.

_Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity and seriousness._

_Light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding, and softness._

Bruce is intelligent and a doctor. Whereas the Hulk is powerful beyond measure and able to destroy everything, Bruce works to mend what was broken. He's calming to be around and understanding when people come to him with problems because he knows problems. He has a gentle heart and a certain kindness to him.

.

Natasha Romanoff is white. White can mean light, goodness and innocence- everything she lost as a child. White is orderly, clean and cool- everything she became. But white is the only color that can readily change.

_White is able to change and become any color with only the slightest of hesitations._

It's a wonderful trait to have in her profession. To be able to slip so seamlessly into a role while on a mission. But white is stained so easily by blood red. Tainted forever. Her past will never leave her.

.

Clint Barton is black. Black leans towards power and elegance; death and mystery. It's considered to be a very formal, elegant and prestigious color. Black hints at his dark past and doesn't allow him to forget what he's done.

_Black absorbs colors and affects them while also being able to sink into the background without a second thought. _

Black and white naturally go together like darkness and light. They are everything the other lacks yet the same in so many ways.

.

Let me know if you have any prompt ideas! I'd be happy for some inspiration:)

Thanks for reading!


	4. 04 run

Prompt: Run

Pairings: Clint/Natasha

Characters: Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers

Timeline: Post-movie

.

It's been three weeks, four days, thirteen hours and twenty-eight minutes since the order for the 'Avengers' to stay together at the former Stark tower. Natasha and Clint had been told they weren't going to have any jobs for the time being seeing as their faces were plastered over newspapers and magazines as well as every news channel. Undercover ops would have to wait (if they were ever going to commence again) until the dust has settled and people forget details.

Natasha Romanoff does not handle being in one place for too long. Where Tony has no adjustment, Steve always follows orders, Bruce has a new lab full of science to play in and Clint just goes with the flow, Natasha feels like a caged animal.

She can't do this anymore. These people are nice and _innocent_ as children in her eyes and her hands are _stained_ red with more blood than they can imagine. She's certain that being close to people like them will inevitably stain them too.

Clint is there before her mind is fully around its suggestion and her hands are reaching for the bag she runs with.

He doesn't say anything, just puts a hand on hers until she drops the handle she hardly knew she was holding. With a swift kick, he nudges the bag back into place under her bed. "You can't run forever." Gray eyes tell her nothing as they stare intently on her own.

"Who says I'm running?" Her tone is light and her eyes are hard as they look away from him. "Maybe I want a vacation." She shrugs like that is the most plausible explanation, lying through her teeth.

He barks a laugh, "Natasha Romanoff doesn't know what a vacation is." Clint points out simply as she takes tiny steps back, away from him. "Try again."

Without realizing it, her eyes are darting to every possible escape route from her room. The door to the hallway is behind Clint, no. The bathroom and closet lead nowhere, no. Vent behind her, barely big enough to fit her, definitely can't fit him, sadly no, not enough time. Three widows, one cracked to let in a breeze to her left, yes.

But Clint is also calculating her next move and loosens his stance, ready to dart any way she does. Two can play this game.

When she launches left, he's a millisecond behind her and grabs her around the waist as she pushes the window open wider. He throws her down on to the bed and keeps her in place by locking her wrists in his hands and pressing his weight into her thighs. In her ear, he breathes, "Thought so. You are not leaving me alone with these fools."

She's struggling, of course she is, but it's half-hearted as he continues, "I would find you. I can always find you, Nat, so don't make me."

Clint pulls back with a searching expression when she stops moving and looks at her blank face and diverted eyes. "I need to get out of here." She breathes softly, like admitting defeat.

"Then I'll come with you."

They leave before dawn. Clint leaves a note because he feels obligated to tell the team that they will be back, it just might take some time.

.

_Nat and I have some business to attend to. Be back eventually._

_-Clint_

When Tony reads the note with his morning coffee, he frowns and says, "They're getting married and we are not invited. How dare they!"

Bruce rolls his eyes, "it says 'business.' Why do you automatically assume they're eloping?"

Tony looks indignant, "Obviously because they're sneaking around!" He slips his coffee thoughtfully, "Though, if they're going off to save the world, I will be just as upset they didn't invite us."

Steve just turns the page in the newspaper, "if the world is in any danger, Fury would let us know. It's probably personal."

"AH HA! So they ARE getting married!"

.

Please review:D


	5. 05 valentine's day

Prompt: Valentine's Day

Pairings: Clint/Natasha

Characters: Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff

Timeline: Post-movie

Dedicated: violet-phoenix-rose (I feel like everything is always dedicated to you :D Thanks for the prompt!)

.

The tower is quiet and still. Something rare with so any occupants. There were no explosions, no grunts of training or the sound of something breaking.

Natasha does not know what's going on.

Jane Foster and Pepper Potts had somehow conned their guys into going out for an evening. Thor and Jane were off to watch the stars somewhere and Tony and Pepper had a fancy dinner planned at fancy location. Natasha doesn't even know if either of the couples were still in the state, let alone the country.

Bruce and Steve were with Fury on an assignment involving the Super Solider/Hulk serum; apparently they had caught a break on part of the coding sequence and just need to run a few more tests until maybe recreating Steve's version.

This left Clint and Natasha in the tower by themselves. The assassins. The quiet killers.

This place is too damn quiet.

After about eight, Natasha realizes that Bruce can't make dinner if he isn't at the tower and concedes with the idea that it'll be take out again. She seeks Clint out to ask if he wanted any.

She finds him on the roof, in his perch. He's sitting with his back to her, a candle lit next to him and a pizza box, closed next to the candle.

"I thought you might be hungry." He says without looking at her. Clint dips his head to indicate the spot next to him, "Are you going to sit or what?"

In the candle light and the city lights, she can see the shadow of a smirk on his face. "Trying for romance, Barton? Serenade me with a candle?"

"Pepper made me. She says tonight is for romance." He informs her with a slight whine to his tone as she sits beside him, dangling her long legs over the edge. "She's terrifying."

Natasha steals a slice of pizza, "She's dealt with Tony for years."

"Ah."

They lull into silence. Clint opens a bottle of beer and Natasha drinks it before handing it back. After she finishes the pizza slice in her hand, she asks, "What's so important about tonight?"

Clint looks at her over the candle, "Happy Valentine's Day, Nat."

Natasha stops her attempt for a second slice. Then curses in Russian.

"Pepper is trying her hand at being our matchmaker." He tips his beer bottle at her, "She's just as noisy as Stark."

"It's a stupid holiday."

"Ah."

"Love is for children." She grumbles and stares directly at the city lights.

Clint disagrees, "love is for people who can afford to be weak."

"We cannot be weak."

"Ah." He agrees and takes a swig of beer but his hand is already laced with hers.

"We cannot afford to love." She takes the beer with her free hand and drinks a healthy swig.

"Ah." His thumb caresses her soft palm.

She pauses for a second before saying, "She managed to clear out the entire tower."

Clint nods his head, "Terrifying woman."

They sit like that until the candle burns itself out, neither one saying anything for a long time, just content that they can sit for a moment, together, without someone being near death or people around them dying at every turn. Taking a break. This might not be exactly what Pepper wanted to happen, but Clint and Natasha are not normal. They'll do things their way, as they always have.

.


	6. 06 girl talk

Prompt: Girl Talk

Pairings: Natasha/Clint, slight Pepper/Tony, slight Jane/Thor,

Characters: Pepper Potts, Tony Stark, Jane Foster, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton

Timeline: Post-movie, set after Valentine's Day

.

When Tony pulls into the underground garage at the tower, she kisses his cheek and tells him to behave in his lab and don't cause any explosions that aren't supposed to happen. Oh, and of course, make sure he shares his toys with Bruce, if the good doctor is back already.

"Wah, wait! Where are you off to?" He calls after her as the elevator doors close on her waving at him. Tony shrugs it off, "women…" he mutters under his breath before calling on Jarvis as he takes the stairs to his lab, asking about the improvements on his newest suit.

.

Jane Foster is practically dancing as she walks into the tower. She's only been there a few times before but she still can't believe a place like this exists with all these superheroes. Thor stands beside her, a warm hand over her shoulder as he explains the differences he's noticed between his warrior friends in Asgard and his warrior friends here.

"Humans are so small and easily injured. Take the Man of Iron and his suit of metal or bow and arrow wielding man!"

Jane is grinning as he talks, enjoying her time away from work and with him when elevator opens and Pepper appears.

"The Pepper of Potts!" Thor greets her jovially as she stands before them as they looked over the city.

"Good afternoon Thor, Jane." She greets politely before looking at Thor, "Do you mind if I borrow Jane for a bit?"

Jane looks confused and Thor looks uncertain for a second before saying, "If that is Jane's wish, you may."

Pepper looks at Jane, "Trust me; you'll want to be there for this." At Jane's still confused look, Pepper adds, "Remember, last night, the plan?"

Jane goes wide-eyed and steps out of Thor's hold, "How did I forget?" They rush off at that, leaving a confused Thor to stand by himself.

.

The girls find their target in training room three, climbing up a rock-wall with one hand tied behind her back and the other holding a knife.

Jane looks at Pepper with an obvious look of 'seriously?' before Natasha grunts and says, "Welcome back, did you both enjoy your evenings?"

Jane nearly chokes on her own spit at being acknowledged without being looked at. Natasha and Jane haven't spent much time together and to be frank, Natasha is really intimidating. Pepper, who is used to it, smiles like she knows a secret and asks instead, "Did _you_ enjoy your evening?"

At the top of the rock wall, Natasha sheaths her knife in the holder at the small of her back before reaching for the rafters that crisscross the ceiling and pulling herself up with the use of one hand and her lean legs. "Clint and I are not dating." She responds with exasperation, flipping herself over so she's straddling the rafter instead of hanging from it.

"You're kidding, right?" Jane gapes. Pepper can't tell if that's to the statement or the acrobatics. She was thinking the same thing, on both counts.

Natasha levels a blank stare at the two women, "My personal life is just that- mine."

Pepper rolls her eyes, "You and Clint are perfect for each other, I don't understand why you're being so hostile about this."

"Clint and I are just partners." She flips into a standing position before flipping her hair out of her face.

"Pepper and Tony were just secretary and boss before they got together. They still make it work." Jane points out, "You two already know each other's strengths and weaknesses and confide in each other. It's not that much different being in a relationship."

Pepper nods, "You just have to have a little faith in these things. It could be the perfect ending for two assassins, don't you think?"

Jane bobs her head in agreement, "Go out on a limb and try. Or, hit him with a car a few times. That's how I got Thor." She suggests.

The girls plead with Natasha for another two minutes before Natasha pulls out her knife with her left hand and flicks it at the back door just as it opens.

Clint catches it with ease, four centimeters from his nose before flipping it in his hand and throwing it back. It embeds itself in the wall beside her head. "Good morning to you too sunshine." He greets and she smiles wickedly sweet at him.

"It's nearly four in the afternoon." She rips the blade from the wall and puts it back into place.

"Technicalities." He waves off her comment and squints up at her, "Come down from there, Fury wants to speak with us."

Her eyes sparkle, "An assignment?" She flips herself on the one foot wide beam to a standing position and leans against a vertically running support beam to look down at him.

He shakes his head once, "Nope." He points to the support beam she's stand beside, "Down."

She scoffs, "Fine." She slides down it and he stands at the base to lessen the blow of hitting the ground with his arms on her waist. There is a flawless ease in the movement, like they're done this a million times before.

Jane and Pepper watch the exchange with growing realization that Natasha seems to have forgotten about them. That's a start at least and they seem to be getting pretty cozy. They decide with silent head gestures to leave and with grins pray that _something _happens.

As they turn towards the door, Natasha calls from Clint's hold, "this conversation is over ladies."

Jane and Pepper feel like children being caught stealing from the cookie jar as they scurry away without another word.

Clint raises a brow at her as he turns her around to untie her hand, "Conversation?"

"What do you think?"

"Ah."

When the rope comes off, she rubs her wrist, "What does Fury want?"

"Sounds like he found out about the wedding." Clint answers with nonchalance as he leads her out the door he came in.

She scrunches her nose in disbelief, "Wow. That took- what? Three years?"

"Four." Clint shrugs his shoulder, "He's not as good at keeping track of us as he thinks he is."

"It was Budapest. We weren't even good at keeping track of each other."

.

HeheheheXD

Do you guys want a Valentine's Day write up of the other two couples or no?


	7. 07 budapest

Prompt: Budapest

Pairings: slight Nat/Clint

Characters: Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Nick Fury

Timeline: Pre-movie

Dedications: JT, discordchick, jaymie

.

On paper, every mission seems like a cakewalk. On paper, there are only your objectives and goals and none of the complications that inevitably appear along the way.

The Black Widow and Hawkeye had officially been partners for a little shy of a year when Fury passing them this particular assignment.

A drug cartel needed to be taken out, according to SHIELD, they were creating a version of the Super Solider serum and putting lives in danger. Black Widow would approach the target and gain trust. Hawkeye would serve as back up and support. Black Widow should gather information on experiments and take out main target.

Simple enough. Coulson bets that it'll take eight days for the mission. Hill throws money down that Natasha can wrap the man around her finger in six. Fury glares at his two agents and says it better be done in five as he throws down a twenty.

.

Three days into the mission, things get complicated. Natasha is already in place with Zoltan wrapped tightly around her pinkie finger and Clint is imaging a vacation in the near future since they're finishing ahead of schedule. Obviously, they don't expect anything to complicate their mission.

A known weapons gang approaches Zoltan about a joint deal in which both sides prosper. Sandor, the weapons leader, comes into the compound with means to speak with Zoltan. However, in a twist of fate, he catches sight of the Black Widow who may have accidently, on assignment, ruined his life by blowing up a shipment of his black market Stark weapons.

Of course, he calls forth his men, cursing at being double crossed in such a fashion and opens fire.

Zoltan, assuming the attack is meant to kill him, sends his men out to fight to the death. Natasha is caught in the middle of it.

Gun fire glazes and small scale bombs are cued as everyone wants to kill anyone they don't know.

Natasha faces off against Sandor and he lands a kick to her head when she dodged stray debris that begins to fall. Her vision hazes slightly but she ends her fight quick enough with a well-placed bullet to the heart.

.

He hears the action before he can see it. Aiming arrows from his perch on an overlooking building, Hawkeye takes down men left and right before realizes there's just too many of them.

Clint yells for Black Widow over the coms but in the chaos can't find his fire haired companion and makes the gut wrenching decision to abandon and regroup (hopefully) at the secondary location.

He swears under his breath the entire way, annoyed at himself for taking his eyes off of her. He grumbles in annoyance at his annoyance. She's capable of taking care of herself, he shouldn't be this worried for her.

He sticks to the shadows and aims an arrow at the person trying to sneak up on him but it's quickly knocked away as Natasha presses her body against his to force him into the closest building.

The Basilica is completely empty and beautiful as they slip in to regroup. There are distant sounds of guns and aftershocks of explosions as the battle continues.

Clint looks over his partner and sees the dirt and soot covering her face and hair, the torn mess that is her once elegant evening gown. Bruises are starting to form on her exposed arms and he can see minor cuts and scrapes but nothing serious. He thinks he might have to take a closer look at the bruise forming over her temple but for now, it doesn't look too bad.

He grabs her hand and puts it to his mouth in quick kisses, glad she's okay. "Answer your damn com, woman." He scolds.

Natasha has the decency to look sheepish, "It came loose and got fried in a fire."

"I keep telling them to do something about that!" He groans and rubs a hand over his face in exasperation.

Natasha stands after a moment, wincing as her knees pop and her muscles ache, "We've have to go back and finish. Hey, at least we can get two birds with one bullet, or you know, arrow."

Clint stands too, agreeing with her and they walk to the front of the basilica where the candles are flickering and burning brightly, looking at every nook and cranny knowing that if they get roof top access it'll be beneficial.

He sees something with potential, "Nat, look at this." He calls, pointing.

She grins as she sees it, "This is going to be fun." Clint rolls his eyes at her idea of fun before throwing an arm over her shoulder as if they were a couple.

Natasha leans into him as the person they heard from one of the back rooms makes an appearance. They smile and play pretend, acting like a couple enjoying a moment together. Instead of two assassins about to go kill some people.

There's still a constant stream of gun shots and booms. The job isn't done yet.

It's a priest that walks in the room. With the priest sees the couple, he smiles widely and speaks quickly in a language that Clint doesn't know but sounds like a dialect of Hungarian.

Natasha is touching her forehead, adrenaline leaving her system and reminding her, she's been in close hand-to-hand combat not even ten minutes ago. Her ears start ringing and the priest continues speaking jovially at the two of them.

Clint leans down to Natasha and whispers, "What is he saying?"

She shakes her head, "I don't know, he's speaking some kind of dialect that's mixing Hungarian and German. I'm having difficulty understanding him." He looks concerned but understands that she can't know everything and decides to just nod his head at the priest who takes that as his cue to continue.

The priest stands before them and gestures to each one in turn, speaking quickly and clasping his hands together happily. This continues for another minute before the priest stops talking and looks expectantly at the two of them. Clint nods again, unsure but the priest gestures to continue with his hands.

Natasha squints her eyes, "Wait, did he just say 'kiss?' Why does he want us to kiss?"

"Yes!" The priest says with a heavy accent, "kiss," but it sounds weird on his tongue, "yes, kiss. Kiss girl."

"Um… okay?" Clint shrugs and Natasha glares at him, pushing her headache to the back of her mind.

"What are you doing?" She hisses at him.

He smirks, "Doing what the priest says. It's God's will." She wants to roll her eyes but instead feels him kiss her with something that she can feel in her toes and makes her want to lean in for more. Just as she ignores the voice in her head telling her not to let him win, he pulls away with a lopsided grin and hazy eyes. "God's a good man."

The priest claps his hands excitedly, pulls papers from alter and signs them with a flourish before putting them in the hands of Clint who didn't even look at it before shoving it into his pocket. The priest holds up a hand to tell them to wait while he disappeared into the back room he came out of.

"Let's get out of here for real this time." Natasha whispers, wiping the smudge of lipstick from his grinning mouth.

Clint ushers her to his exit and they make their escape before the excited priest returns.

.

The beginning of the four day finds Black Widow and Hawkeye taking refuge at the actual secondary location, a nondescript motel, after taking out both a drug cartel and a weapons gang while destroying all records of the experiments they were doing.

Clint is nearly passed out on the bed with an ice pack on his face. He's concussed with a broken bow and dislocated shoulder as well as being bruised beyond belief. Well, that's what happens when you go up against a giant, Hulk-like man, who was probably part of the experiments, in hand-to-hand combat just because he broke your bow.

Natasha did better the second time around, only nursing a broken wrist as a result of a miscalculated flip on unstable ground. Her ankle is swollen and her head is still aching but for the most part, she's good.

As she's gathering their clothes and leaving no trace just as she was always taught, she hears the distinct sound of paper being crumpled. Pulling out the folded papers, she reads the Hungarian words twice before laughing out loud at what it says.

Clint removes the ice from his view to give her an imploring look. He thinks maybe she's finally lost it before she says wickedly, "Hello husband."

At his confusion, she hands him the paper the priest gave him. He gives her a deadpanned look, "You know I can't read Hungarian or German or whatever the hell this is and even if I did, I'm concussed, don't make me think."

A laugh bubbles in her throat again, "Apparently the priest from yesterday married us. Those are the official forms to fill out."

He stares at her, unbelieving. "Are you kidding me? I didn't even think he was a real priest. The kid looked twelve."

"He was definitely on the high end of twenty," she corrects him, "though, his Hungarian wasn't very proper so I didn't think he was actually preforming a ceremony…"

"How the hell did we get married in the middle of a gang war?"

She shrugs her shoulders and he drops the ice back on his face, groaning as the weight settles over his sore skin.

.

When Black Widow and Hawkeye appear before Fury before the fourth day is up, Coulson and Hill look nervously at each other.

"Who gets the money if none of us got it right?" Coulson asks aloud at the stack of neatly placed bills. Other agents got in the bet, totaling the profits to a nice even two thousand.

Hill shrugs her shoulders, "Fury was the closest…"

"But he went over. The rules of the game: closest without going over!" Coulson points out.

Clint walks up behind the two and plucks the money off the table, giving a low whistle as he flips through the bills. "That would be mine. Only a fool would bet against Nat finishing her job quickly."

Natasha is waiting in the doorway with her hand held out and Clint splits the cash with her as they walk away. "Pleasure doing business with you." She calls over her shoulder.

"I didn't even know he put in a bet…"

Fury walks up, "Right before he left, he bet fifty on a four-day return."

Hill works her mouth to hide her pout, "Is it really fair to allow him to bet when he's apart of the mission?"

Fury turns to her with a serious expression, "Do you want to tell him no?"

She coughs at the thought, "Ah, no, no sir I would not."

"Exactly."

.

I don't know why I keep adding such comedic moments... hope you don't mind them:D

So, yeah, that's their wedding. Pretty fancy, right? hahaha


	8. 08 language

Prompt: Language

Pairings: slight Nat/Clint

Characters: Nick Fury, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton

Timeline: Pre-movie

.

They work best as a team. They can read each other, see underneath the underneath. It isn't words that made their conversations- it's meaningful glances and gut reactions that tell whole stories.

Maybe it's the common back story they shared or the deadly profession they partake in- whatever the reason, they work flawlessly in sync with one another.

Combine, they will forever be known as the best duo SHIELD has to offer. A legendary team that new recruits will speak in awe of while they train.

Hawkeye is able to understand a situation best from a distance. He has keen eyes that watch and learn, reacting in a calculated manner. He's an impressive marksman that never misses, even over great distances. His bow and arrow may be outdated, but it's his perfect and silent medium.

Black Widow is a seductress. Her place is up close and personal with the target. Her skills rest in hand to hand combat and literally seducing intel out of powerful men before silencing them forever. She is proficient with hand guns and knives but her body will always be her greatest weapon.

They both have plenty of red in their ledger.

Maybe their language is in red. A code that the others don't understand because they can't understand- the red language is earned and lived, never learned. A language that is as much a part of them as their own bodies.

Fury is the first to see the language of red.

When Clint comes back from a simple termination mission with the target very much alive and in tow, Fury wants to see what's so special about her.

He watches the duo; informing Clint that as he brought in a stray, she was his responsibility to look after. If she does anything outside of the allowed, it's all on him.

Two days later, Fury is watching the assassins training together from the observation deck. There should be nothing to catch his eye- it's sparring. Everyone spars. He simply meant to glance down at who was fighting.

But it's in the way they move together that makes him stop and stare. They fight like they're dancing. There's a fluidity in their motions that partners together for years, still haven't mastered. Even as they fall to the ground, wrestling to the floor as neither is willing to be defeated, he feels as if he's watching something choreographed.

Clint admits defeat when the Black Widow twists her thighs around his neck. Fury watches as his agent says something before the woman releases her hold, slithering off of him like a snake. The archer rolls over, leveraging on his arms to push him up to stand. Once standing, he stretches and offers the Widow a hand up. No words are exchange during this but Fury can see an entire conversation is spoken when Clint holds out his hand.

Fury will never understand what they say when they are speaking with their eyes but even he can tell they will be a force to reckon with. If, after such a short time, they work together like _that-_ enemies beware because the red language is their native tongue and they have perfect a deadly dance.

The Widow takes the offered hand after the conversation had been settled and he sees his agent is more relaxed than ever before. It's like the world no longer sits on Hawkeye's broad shoulders but is shared between a Hawk and a Spider.


	9. 09 strength

Prompt: Strength

Pairings: none

Characters: Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner

Timeline: Post-movie

.

Bruce Banner is a doctor. He understands the limitations of the human body and has seen what happens to people when they overexert themselves. The injuries that come from battles and the wounds that come from weapons- he's seen it all.

He understands how flesh patches itself back together and how bones mend over breaks. How people will cry and scream in agony.

He can sympathize with the pain of wounds and injuries going untreated and how harmful it is for your overall help.

He's a doctor. He knows how people work.

What he doesn't know are how assassins work because apparently, they have a totally different set of rules and pain standards.

.

They had just saved the world. Again.

Bruce patched up the team, being the doctor and the Hulk happened to be a great partnership since he was rarely ever injured. Thor, uninjured, remained at Jane's side after the fight since they were in her part of the woods. Tony, barely battered, retreated to his workshop, muttering about upgrades he needs to make. Steve, nursing a few heavy cuts, thanked the good doctor for patching him up before he went on with his business.

Bruce, completely unscathed, went in search of the two remaining members of the team. The two completely human members that were definitely in worse wear than the rest of the genetically-modified, Godly, armor-clad team happen to be. Hawkeye and Black Widow had been waiting patiently in his lab to be looked after.

Clint was braving a nasty spilt lip and a deep abdominal wound. Natasha sustained a broken arm and four cracked ribs. He fixed them up as best he could with stitches and a cast, giving them instructions to take it easy for a few weeks.

Neither one should be anywhere near a training room for at least four weeks.

But, that's where Bruce found the two assassins the next day. Training room two. Sparring.

He watched them in awe. The two were brutal. They aimed for the other's injuries, purposefully causing them ever more pain.

He wants to call out, to stop them immediately. This is madness!

But, he can't move. Natasha lands a kick right where Bruce stitched Clint's stomach. Clint falls to his knees, a hand going to where his shirt is slowly being colored red.

Natasha, breathing heavily (causing Bruce to wince- her ribs!), offers him a hand up. She offers her broken wrist and Clint grabs it and something in Bruce tells him, he knows that her bad arm.

The archer purposefully puts all his weight on her hand and Bruce can see her gritting her teeth in agony at the pain.

In his brain, he's screaming, "Stop! Why are you doing this?"

He gets his answer the next time the Avengers are out saving the world and they have to fight injured. It doesn't slow them down.

They might be the humans but their strength is leaps and bounds higher than the rest of the team.

.

Random inspiration hits at random times! Let me know what you want to see next


End file.
